Tamashi No Gemu
by TheWriteLife
Summary: After giving in to silly pressure, Kagome finally decides to apply to Japan's infamous Shikon University. Soul Games held during the summer for finals determines who will become sole proprietor of the Jewel of Four Souls & Kikyo feels she shouldn't have to compete for what is hers. Jealous of Kagome & her powers, Kikyo will stop at nothing to have the jewel for her taking.
1. Chapter 1

As promised! I welcome you all to a recent world I created in the midst of all of my crazy ideas called Tamashi No Gemu! (Roughly translated meaning "Soul Games". If this is wrong PLEASE let me know so I can change it!) And there wasn't enough room to make this clear, but I also have Tenchi Muyo crossed in as well, if you didn't know by reading my story "Through Time". So, go check that out as well :) Lol Hope you guys like my new story! Please R&R! Happy reading! Oh yeah, and none of these characters belong to me, blah, blah, you guys already know this! ;)

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Chapter One

**"Accepted"**

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"Kagome!" Mrs. Higurashi called her daughter from downstairs.

"Yes, mom?"

"Could you come down here, please? There's some mail here for you. It's from Shikon University!" Mrs. Higurashi tossed the rest of the mail aside and held the University's letter firm between her fingers. Kagome, her father and her son Sota were beside her in the family room in an instant.

"What are you waiting for, mom? Open it up!" Sota urged.

"Kagome is the one going back to school, she should open it." Mrs. Higurashi passed the letter to Kagome.

"Hurry, child!" Grandpa was restless and jumped out of his skin when Buyo meowed and rubbed against his leg. He picked the fat cat up and handed it to Sota. "You being accepted into this University will make our ancestors proud. You as a young priestess should develop your powers, work hard and become sole proprietor of the Jewel of Four Souls and protect it from the evils of the world." His hands were clasped together and hopeful tears ran down his cheeks.

"Why you waited and wasted two years at a normal university I will never know but now is the chance for you to make up for that lost time." He added with a cross of his arms.

"It wasn't a waste of time, Gramps. Couldn't I just enjoy college as a normal person before giving in to your peer pressure for needing more responsibility?" Kagome popped a vein and dropped her shoulders. "You might be worse than Sango." She said of her best friend. Sango was already attending the University and had tried to convince Kagome plenty of times to apply. Kagome finally gave in and put in an application once her sophomore year at Tokyo U was complete.

"Now that I think about it, Gramps, you're sorta living through Kagome. You pushed her hard enough and now she's giving in." Sota pointed out.

Grandpa was offended and went drop-jawed at Sota's accusation. "I'm doing no such thing!" He lied.

Kagome took a deep breath. "Alright, you two." She silenced them. _Here goes nothing. _She thought. She broke the seal on the back of the envelop and carefully pulled out the letter. Her pure brown eyes slowly read over each word and her body seemed to relax after reading the first three sentences. "What do ya know? I got in."

Grandpa jumped for joy and took the family cat from Sota's hands and danced around the family room.

"Congrats, sis!" Sota stood beside her to get a better look at the letter.

"How wonderful, Kagome! We'll go out tonight to celebrate." Mrs. Higurashi hugged her daughter. "You choose the restaurant?"

"Sure." Kagome agreed.

"Now, Kagome, when you leave, don't come back until you're sole proprietor of the jewel, you hear me?" Grandpa put Buyo down and pointd in his granddaughter's direction.

"You're crazy! I'm coming home on all of my breaks, Grandpa. You won't get rid of me that easily." Kagome jogged back upstairs with a nap on her mind. She had been able to hold a job over the past two years and this week, waitressing had beat her up more than usual. "I guess I should tell Sango." She reached for her cell phone sitting on her nightstand as she lay down on top of her fluffy comforter.

"On second thought, she'll be visiting next week. I'll just surprise her with the news then." Kagome put her phone back down and turned her back towards the wall and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.

...

"Hello, Mrs. Higurashi. How are you?" Sango greeted Kagome's mother with a hug.

"Sango, dear. I'm well. How are you?"

"I'm just the same." She bent down to pick up her demon feline Kilala, who was sitting patiently by her side, which Mrs. Higurashi pet with a smile. "This is my good friend Misao Makimachi. She attends the University with me." Sango introduced her friend.

Mrs. Higurashi smiled at the petite girl and noticed her long braid as she bowed slightly to her. "Very nice to meet you, Misao."

"Likewise." Misao's big turquoise eyes were warm and innocent, as was her smile.

"Kagome is upstairs in her room. She just got home from work not too long ago." Mrs. Higurashi gestured the girls inside and closed the front door behind them.

Sango slightly bowed. "Thank you." She and Misao walked up the stairs and headed towards Kagome's room. Before she could knock, Kagome's door opened and Sango became face-to-face with her raven-haired best friend.

Kagome's eyes widened. "Sango! You're here!" She grabbed her up into a tight hug.

"Haha, yeah! This is Misao. Misao, Kagome." Sango said once she and Kagome released one another.

"Misao! Nice to finally meet you."

Misao accepted Kagome's friendly hug. "Same to you."

"You guys can wait in my room. I'll go get us some sodas and snacks and we can talk." Kagome got their snack preferences and ran to the kitchen.

Sango took a seat on the foot of Kagome's bed and Misao sat in the desk chair.

"Say, Sango, Kagome kind of resembles Kikyo, don't you think?" Misao asked, fiddling with the end of her long braid.

Sango scrunched her nose and shook her head. "No way. Kagome's much prettier." She waved her hand and sat her shoulder bag on the floor near her feet.

"That still doesn't mean they don't resemble each other. But, you're right." Misao shrugged and pulled her cell phone from her own shoulder bag as it vibrated on her lap. She checked it and a light blush crept across her face.

"Who is that?" Sango inquired.

Misao perked up. "Uh, nobody."

"Come on, Misao. It's Aoshi, isn't it?" Sango smirked.

Misao blushed even harder but a smile crept onto her face. "Y-yeah, it's him."

"What did he say?"

"I just told him that I hope he was having a nice summer. He replied and said 'Same to you. Can't wait to see you when the new semester starts.'"

"He said that?" Sango asked in disbelief. "I knew he liked you. But, he's so...emotionless." She chuckled. "No wonder he and Sesshomaru are best friends. They're one in the same."

"Aoshi isn't emotionless, he just appears to be. He's actually a real sweetheart behind closed doors."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"Believe what?" Kagome came into the room with Kilala trailing in behind her. She placed the snacks on her work desk and handed Sango and Misao their sodas and grabbed one for herself. She took a seat beside Sango on the bed and popped a cookie into her mouth as Kilala got comfortable between her and Sango on the comforter.

"That an emotionless guy can be a sweetheart behind closed doors."

"I think it's possible." Kagome shrugged.

Misao stuck her tongue out at Sango and got an eye roll in return. "That's neither here nor there." Sango tuned to Kagome, folding her right let up on the bed. "So, did you get an answer yet?"

"What is this answer you speak of?" Kagome toyed with her.

"Come on, Kagome. I wanna know." Sango whined.

"Alright, alright." Kagome handed Sango a letter from her nightstand and watched as she went crazy while reading it over.

"You've been accepted!"

"Really?" Misao asked.

"Yeah! Now you'll be going to school with us! Are you excited?"

Kagome giggled. "Probably not as excited as you are."

"You're really gonna love it there, Kagome. It's a little dangerous from time-to-time, but other than that, it's really cool. We'll have so much fun together." Sango fantasized.

"I hope you're right. I get to pick my classes a week before I come out. So now I'm waiting for a little more information to come in the mail. When are you leaving to go back?"

"A week before. I already have my classes picked out for the fall quarter. I just want to make sure I'm all settled in. Plus I have to work around then as well."

"What about you, Misao?" Kagome wondered.

"I'll be leaving around the same time. Have you given it any thought?"

Kagome shook her head and got up to put a few cookies on her napkin. "Not really. Probably three days before my classes start. This would be my first time "leaving the country" so I'll try to spend as much time with my family before I go." She used air quotes.

Shikon University was located on an off island of Japan called Feudal Island. To those who weren't truly knowledgeable of the school, which was almost all of Japan, it was something like a boarding school. Feudal Island was a place in which humans with special powers and demons alike could walk around in society without really being fearful of one another. Demons could walk around freely without worrying who saw their true form. For the most part, everyone got along. Feudal Island's population was a mediocre amount of about 50,000 people. The island itself was a little like its own country.

"I can understand that. I know they'll miss you a great deal." Sango commented.

"And me them." Kagome agreed. "Although, it seems like my grandpa can't wait for me to go. He was almost as bad as you when it came to peer pressuring me into applying." She gave a soft sigh and Sango giggled. "But, at any rate, I guess this will be a pretty good experience for me."

"It will be." Sango reassured her. "Hey, Misao and I were going to hang out at the mall for a couple hours. I know you worked today, but would you like to come?" She offered.

"I am sort of pooped, but why not? I could use a few things."

Their trip to the mall was successful and by the end of the day, Kagome was more than tired. She soaked in the bath for about an hour and started to doze off to sleep. It wasn't until Sota interrupted her private time that she abandoned the lukewarm water to trade it for the warmer water of a quick shower then the comfort of her bed. Before going to sleep she checked her phone. There was a text from Sango letting her know that she and Misao made it back to her father's place safely. Kaome texted back a quick okay and turned over on her stomach to sleep. Unbeknownst to her, Buyo was hiding under her work desk and he casually walked over and leapt onto her bed.

Kagome let out a low "oof" and sighed as her fat feline made himself comfortable on her back. "Buyo, what do you think I'm getting myself into?" She asked him. He yawned a meow and lied his head down as he curled up. "You're right. Probably a heap of trouble. But on the plus side I will be developing and getting more in tune with my spiritual powers. Some good has to come out of this some way." She sighed once again and opened her eyes to the stars she could see through her window curtains. "Well, I'll just see how this turns out in a few weeks." She slowly closed her eyes and quickly found sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter one got a better turn out than I thought! Thanks to everyone who has supported so far! Here's chapter two! Happy reading! :))

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Chapter Two

**"The Welcome"**

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Kagome looked out of the window seat of the plane and down at the crystal blue ocean disappearing beneath the cotton scattered clouds. Leaving her family wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. Sure they were all sad that she wouldn't be around except for on the holidays, but she was only a three hour plane ride away. It wasn't that bad.

"Don't come back until you're the owner of the Shikon Jewel, Kagome. Best of luck to you!" Grandpa had waved goodbye to he as she turned in the direction of her assigned terminal.

Kagome chuckled to herself and shook her head. She looked at her watch and took note of the time. It was just tuning 7:10am. Mrs. Higurashi made it a priority to prepare Kagome a full course meal at a peaking 5am to make sure she wouldn't be hungry during her trip and made sure to pack some snacks for her carry-on bag.

"Make sure you eat healthy and take care of yourself, dear." Mrs. Higurashi had said. Kagome had assured her that she didn't need to worry.

Kagome pulled a small bottle of water and a couple of protein bars to snack on out of her bag and her eyes scanned over a comic book Sota gave her for her entertainment during the plane ride.

"Here, sis. In case you get bored. It's my favorite Samurai comic, so don't lose it, okay?" Sota tucked the book in her bag as she bent down to give him access.

"Thanks, Sota." Kagome mumbled opening her water and the first page of the book. "Hm...this actually looks pretty interesting." She wasn't a comic book reader, but checking it out wouldn't hurt since she had three hours of free time.

Once the plane landed, Kagome was well into a good nap. The young man sitting beside her gently nudged her arm to wake her. She thanked him and unplugged her phone from its charger and wrapped the charger up, putting it inside her yellow carry-on. She placed her bag on her lap and took her phone out of airplane mode to check some messages that had been blocked from coming through.

There was a text from Mrs. Higurashi pleading her to be as safe as possible and to call when she landed and another text from Sango saying that she, Misao and someone named Sanosuke were going to be waiting for her at the security checkpoint.

Kagome let out a sigh of relief. Everything is going as planned, so far. She thought. She stood and fell in behind the passengers as they were being let off the plane. As requested, Kagome called her mother to tell her she was safe and let her know of her plans during the next few hours which would consist of moving into her dorm, getting her class schedule and checking out the nearby vicinity with help from Sango and Misao. It was exactly 10:05am on the dot. Kagome had a full day ahead of her.

"Over here, Kagome!" Misao waved her arms to get Kagome's attention. It didn't seem to work. There were people bustling around all over the place, rushing for their own reasons.

"I can't believe she can't hear your loud mouth over all these people, little weasel girl."

"Who are you calling a little weasel girl?!" Misao raised a threatening fist at her good friend Sanosuke.

Sanosuke laughed, standing tall with his arms crossed but stopped abruptly when Misao stood on her toes and pulled his head down by his ear. "Hey, let go!"

"Give me a lift." Misao demanded, trying to put her right leg up onto his shoulders.

Sanosuke knelt down and attempted to help. "Watch the hair, would ya?" His brown hair that used to stand tall like his posture was now tussled by Misao's left hand as she rested it. Her right hand was to her forehead as she searched for Kagome over the busy sea of people.

"Kagome! Ka-go-me!" She hollered once she found her again.

Sango and Sanosuke sweat-dropped. Misao was drawing a lot of attention to them. "Leave it to Misao to embarrass us." She mumbled.

Kagome noticed the group and quickly made her way over to them. "Hey, you guys!"

Misao hopped from Sanosuke's broad shoulders and gave a rather graceful landing. "Hiya."

"How was your flight?" Sango asked.

"Pretty peaceful, thankfully. You must be Sanosuke." Kagome looked to the tall guy hovering above her.

He stretched out his hand. "Sanosuke Sagara. Pleased to meet you."

"Kagome Higurashi. I guess they needed you for the muscle, huh?"

"Yeah, even though they could have managed themselves." He dropped his eyelids and that comment earned him a nudge in his arm from Misao. "Of course, what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't come help?" He chuckled nervously. "How much stuff do you have anyway?"

"Not much, really. I promise."

Sango quickly showed Kagome where to get her schedule and information for her dorm room as well as her key. After that, they went to the correct building and started to unload Kagome's things from the car.

Sanosuke gave a soft grunt as he placed the last of Kagome's boxes on her side of the small dorm room. The girls each carried small boxes and naturally left the heavier ones to the nice, strong gentleman.

"There, that's the last of them." He brushed his hands together and adjusted his thin white jacket.

"I really appreciate your help, Sanosuke." Kagome smiled.

"No problem." He waved it off. "Need help with anything else?"

"Um..." Kagome gave her belongings a quick once-over and shook her head. "Nope. Everything is here. I can set it all up by myself."

"In that case, I need to take my girlfriend her car so she can get to work. I'll see you ladies later. Bye, weasel girl."

"Bye, rooster head." Misao shot back at him.

"You two must be close." Kagome giggled.

Misao shrugged. "Something like that. So, when do you want to set your things up? It seems like your roommate is already settled in."

All three girls looked to the right side of the small room. The bed was neatly made with plain tan sheets with grey pillows and a duffel bag sat on top of the trunk at the foot of the bed. Sango peeked inside the tall thin closet and clothes hung neatly on the hangers and a few shoe boxes were stacked at the bottom.

"I wonder who she is." Sango said of Kagome's roommate.

Kagome pulled a blue folder from her yellow bag and read over some information. "Hmm...Her name is Ryoko Hakubi."

"Ryoko?!" Misao's voice was full of excitement while Sango's held disbelief.

"Guessing by her name, I'll take a wild shot in the dark and say she's a demon." Kagome simpered with a few chuckles.

"Yeah! I love Ryoko!" Misao went on to say.

"Didn't you fill out a Roommate Request form? How did you end up with someone as wild as her?" Sango was confused. Kagome and Ryoko had two totally different personalities, so this match didn't make any sense to her.

"Sango, darling, you know wild is my middle name. What kind of person would I be if I didn't live up to that?" An average height girl wearing a long summer dress with light blue hair and golden eyes appeared out of nowhere, lying casually on the bed behind Sango and Misao.

Misao jumped up to hug the girl while Sango screamed and jumped to Kagome's side. "Ryoko!" She yelled. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop scaring me like that?" She put a hand over her chest.

Ryoko laughed and sat cross-legged with Misao beside her. "Can't help it. It's too funny. Who are you?" She nodded to Kagome.

"Kagome Higurashi. Your roommate for this year."

"Ohh," she read Kagome's body language and studied her a moment. "A priestess, huh?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"I can easily read your spirit. You a senior?"

"Nope. Just a junior."

"Just like these two." Ryoko gestured towards her friends with raised brows. "Nice to meet you, Kagome. I'm Ryoko. A senior. I guess I should have called beforehand to chat, but I've been pretty busy this summer."

"Why are you in this room anyway? I thought you were getting upgraded to a suite this year." Sango asked, running a hand over her long dark brown bangs.

"Feh, that damn Naraku." Ryoko huffed and a tail appeared, scrunching up in annoyance, matching her mood.

"The dean? What happened?" Misao frowned.

"Where did that tail come from?" Kagome whispered absently.

"It shows up when there is childlike emotions coming from Ryoko's demeanor." Sango informed her.

Kagome studied Ryoko's body language just as she had done her just moments ago. Her shoulders were raised and both her hands met at her ankles as she pushed down on them. Her cheeks were puffed and she had a childish frown on her face.

"He said didn't have the correct amount of credits to be moved into a suite but I passed all of my classes junior year!"

"But wasn't it you that blew up one of the science labs during your final exam for that class?" Sango's voice was monotone as she reminded her friend of the incident. After all, she had been in the science lab next door when it happened.

Ryoko scratched the back of her head in realization. "Oh yeah. That little incident. Can't believe I forgot. I never finished my exam." She gave a silly smile, tail still in tact.

"Sesshomaru must be pretty upset about you not moving into a suite and failing that exam." Misao sighed, mentioning Ryoko's very popular and rich senior boyfriend.

"My Sesshy Bear was pretty upset with me." Ryoko whined. "It took forever to get him to forgive me and he even went to talk Naraku into moving me, but it didn't work. So, I'm helping rebuild the labs and I have to take that freakin' chemistry class again." She explained. "The labs should be done in a couple of days."

"Say, Kagome is pretty good in the science department. Maybe she can help you." Sango offered.

"Would you, Kagome?"

Kagome nodded. "Sure. I actually have chemistry class this semester. Chem201 Tuesdays from 9am-10:50am and Thursdays 9am-11:30am." She read off her schedule.

"Wow, me too! Who's the teacher? My schedule didn't say."

"Mine doesn't say either." Kagome shook her head.

"In any case, thanks in advance for the help." Ryoko smiled and winked at her. "I'll see you guys later. I have to go check on Tenchi." With that, Ryoko disappeared right before their eyes.

"She was nice." Kagome decided. Her stomach growled at an annoyingly loud level and she blushed.

"It's a little past noon. Let's go get some lunch." Sango giggled.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm aware that the way I'm using Ryoko's tail isn't at all the same as in the original anime or manga (as just a dress accessory for certain ones she wears). I just thought it would be cool to actually make it a part of her and reacts accordingto her mood :) Also, sorry for the wait! Here's a new chapter!

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Chapter Three

**"The Protector, The Princess and The Priestess"**

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"Tenchi?" Ryoko landed from a hover in front of the door she believed to be Tenchi's, the boy she had loved after only moments of meeting him. It took her some time but now, she realized that she and Tenchi Masaki were never destined to be together in the way she longed for many years ago. She had a duty to be by his side in a different way- as his protector. She still loved him, of course, but in another manner.

Ryoko looked down at the ruby gem in her left wrist, a reminder that the other two she needed to unleash her true power were in Tenchi's care, embedded in the hilt of his energy sword that he used for protection when she wasn't around. The memories of her conversing with Tenchi about giving up the gems to her flooded her mind. She was furious and frustrated because he had refused on more than one occasion while he stayed calm. Somehow, he managed to convince her that it would be best that he kept them in order to grow into a man who could protect himself and to keep Ryoko in tact with her sanity. If Ryoko had all of the gems in her possession, she would lose herself and be consumed by power, killing anybody who stood in her way or who she saw fit, Tenchi being no exception. She wasn't spiritually strong enough to handle all of the power the gems held.

Though, she believed her will to be strong enough that she wouldn't ever harm Tenchi and she would protect him until his dying days. Unfortunately, Tenchi still refused to give them to her, fearing for his life and those around him and more importantly that he would lose her. As a result, Ryoko gave in but made a pact with him. In exchange for him keeping the gems, he had to let her protect him for the rest of his life. Tenchi pondered, not really thinking it would be a good idea, seeing as how Ryoko would go overboard with protection in the worst way, but he knew her offer was sincere and that it was obvious she'd give her own life to keep him alive, and so he agreed. Either way, with any of the gems in his possession, he and Ryoko were bound together for life.

Ryoko's gem made her wrist pulse and she looked at the door in front of her. "He's gotta be in here." She tapped twice and noticed it shift inwards. She tapped two more times and pushed it all the way open. "Tenchi-ah! Ayeka, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

A girl with pink eyes and long purple hair separated into two low ponytails turned to the doorway of the room with a mischevious smile on her face. Her hands were on Tenchi's shoulders, massaging them in a seductive manner.

Tenchi opened his dark brown eyes and followed Ryoko's voice. "Oh, good afternoon, Ryoko."

"Hey, Tenchi. Ayeka, what are you doing?" Ryoko stomped up to them and rushed her greeting and repeated her question to Ayeka.

"Why, Ryoko, I'm relieving Tenchi of his stress." Ayeka answered, stopping her massage but keeping her hands in place. "He was rather tense so early in the day and I would hate for it to have gotten any worse." She cackled.

Ryoko growled. "Why, you..." She grabbed Ayeka's wrists and they wrestled over Tenchi's head.

"Hey, let go!"

"You keep your hands off of Tenchi, you hear me? Better yet, stay away from him!"

"You are not my mother or father nor are you a high rank official _above _me in the Jurai Family! I'll do as I please!"

Tenchi stood from his desk chair and held his palms up at both girls. "Ladies, please. Ryoko, would ya cut it out?" He begged.

_Ryoko._

Ryoko gasped as a string of energy shot through her body and she heard her name being said softly by a deep voice in her head. She instantly calmed down and a shiver crept through her body. She growled again and gave Ayeka's wrists one last squeeze before she let go.

"Fine." She frowned. "Tenchi, I only came to check on you to make sure everything was okay. Are you all set for classes?"

Tenchi nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine and ready for the new quarter."

"Why so tense so early in the day?" She stared him down and tried to get an honest answer out of him.

"I've been training hard with Grandpa Yosho over the summer so I can get stronger. I guess my body is just now feeling some of the effects." He put a hand to the back of his neck.

Ryoko stared at him a bit longer. "You better not be up to anything." She pointed. "I'll get you some money and a membership at the spa I go to. I don't want this crummy _princess _putting her hands on you anymore." She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Ayeka.

"Just who do you think you're calling crummy, you mummy?"

Ryoko winced and before she could retaliate, Tenchi objected to her offer. "There's no need for that, Ryoko. Thanks, but no thanks."

_Ryoko._

There was the deep voice again and this time it was more demanding, making her shivers almost melt her body. "You'll thank me later, Tenchi. Go and have some lunch."

"I was going to head there now, actually."

Ryoko nodded. "Ayeka, get lost. I gotta go." She took a step towards the door and disappeared into thin air.

Ryoko appeared on the door step of a beautiful two-story home in a quiet suburban neighborhood. Instead of teleporting inside like she'd always do, she'd spare scaring the hell out of the hanyou on the other side who, like Sango, wasn't used to that aspect of her powers yet. She chuckled at the thought and kicked herself. She could use a laugh but she had already been standing there too long- he had more than likely already picked up on her scent.

"Yo," Ryoko entered the house, kicking her shoes off at the door. She'd usually keep them on, not used to the common "manners" of entering houses in Japan, but she had respect for the demons that lived in this home.

Making her way to the kitchen, she spotted a human girl with long black hair and pale skin relaxing on the couch in the living room, watching TV.

"Hello, Ryoko."

"Kikyo." Ryoko greeted in a bored voice. She and the powerful priestess sharing the room with her had had a few disputes in the past and Ryoko had already decided that she wasn't one of her favorite people to be around. She put up with Kikyo for the sake of her boyfriend's younger brother, whom she was very fond of and had a close relationship with. "Wonder if they got any Sake in here? I could use a drink." Ryoko opened a cabinet and pulled out a shot glass.

"Fresh bottle right here." A voice said behind her. "What's up, Ryoko?" The person reached below into a cabinet near the entrance of the kitchen.

"What's up, Inuyasha? How's your day been? Want a shot?" Ryoko offered with a smile.

Inuyasha's own golden eyes narrowed at her. "You know I hate Sake."

"Aw, come on, it's just one little shot." She pressured him. "For your big sis, please." Her tail popped up and Inuyasha took notice of it.

"You always do this." He sighed, giving in.

"And you do have the right to say no." Kikyo approached the kitchen counter, resting her bare arms on top. She wore a pale pink shirt that showed off some of her curves and a pair of grey skinny jeans.

"And _you _always try to ruin the fun. Inuyasha's an adult. He can handle these things, right?" Ryoko sang her last word and turned back to the hanyou who had fetched a shot glass for himself.

Inuyasha pulled on the bottom of his fitted white t-shirt that caressed his biceps to keep it from rising above his waist line. He was lounging around in a pair of red sweat pants and some white socks. "It's alright, Kikyo. I don't really mind."

"There you go. Here's to a new school semester, eh?" Ryoko poured them Sake and thoughtfully asked Kikyo if she wanted any- even though she didn't want to. The pale girl had always annoyed her in some sort of way. She shrugged when Kikyo declined and clincked glasses with Inuyasha and they both downed their drinks. "Ah, that hit spot."

"Disgusting." Inuyasha shook his head and put his glass in the sink, his long silver hair flowing with his motions and his dog ears flattening against his head.

"You took it like a man, though!" She slapped him on the back, causing him to cough a few times. "I'll take this." She took the bottle of Sake and her shot glass and bid farewell to the young couple and skipped up the stairs.

She walked down the long hallway to the right and right through the last door on the left, Sesshomaru suddenly coming into view. "You called?"

The silver-haired demon shifted his gaze from the flat screen TV hanging on his wall to the curvy woman standing at the door. "So, you did hear me?"

Ryoko smirked at him. He was relaxed as always. He was propped up on some pillows so he could see over his right knee that was raised up beside his extended left leg. He wore a fitting white t-shirt similar to Inuyasha's, light grey sweat pants and white socks. Ryoko's eyes ran along his jaw line and the patterns of the purple scars on his cheeks were once again etched into her mind, along with the dark purple crescent moon in the middle of his forehead that was peeking from his bangs.

"You're getting better at this telepathy thing, I must admit. I've taught you well." She walked over to his nightstand on the right side of his large bed and helped herself to another shot before sitting the Sake and glass down.

"Yet, I had to call you twice." He focused back on his TV.

Ryoko gave a soft laugh and pulled her dress up to her thighs and mounted the dog yokai, blocking his view of the TV and forcing his knee down so she could be comfortable. "I was checking on Tenchi and Ayeka was in his dorm room."

She looked down at her left wrist and squeezed her hand into a fist, causing her gem to glow and pull itself out of her skin. She took it between two fingers and placed it by her left ear, turning it into an earring. Though he didn't look it, Sesshomaru was still a bit infatuated by Ryoko's powers. It was her honest and outgoing nature, her strength and the mystery of her powers that had attracted him in the first place. Their first meeting was in battle with each other and of course he didn't dare speak on his curiosity. Some time afterwards, she approached him and struck conversation like they hadn't had a dangeous fight and he figured since she could do that, he could talk back to her and not be cold-hearted like usual.

Sesshomaru removed his right arm from behind his head and retrieved something from the drawer of his nightstand. "Don't you need these?" He pulled two gems similar to the first one of hers from a small box and placed them in her hand.

She shrugged. "Not really. They don't hold the true power the real gems do. I only made them to balance out my powers for convenience. I haven't summoned any demons lately." She put them back in the drawer and closed it. "I met my roommate. Kagome Higurashi. Junior. Priestess. She looks an awful lot like Kikyo."

Sesshomaru idoly (?) placed his hands on Ryoko's hips and she responded by caressing his biceps and forearms, playing with strands of his long silver hair he and his half brother inherited from their father. "Let's not let Inuyasha hear you say that. Or Kikyo."

Ryoko shrugged again. "She has the same Chem class as me too. Said she'll help me study so I can pass and be able to move into my suite by the time winter break is here."

"I hope so." He narrowed his amber eyes at her, something else he and Inuyasha shared with their father.

She shrunk under his gaze and her tail reacted as well by trying to wrap around her waist, but over-lapped Sesshomaru's hands in the process. "Don't look at me like that. I'm gonna pass this time." She removed herself from his lap long enough to take two more shots then claimed her spot again. "Ya know, you made my body shiver something crazy when you called me earlier." She confessed.

"Is that so?" He smirked with satisfaction, intertwining her tail between his clawed fingers. He was the type to never smile and the fact that Ryoko could even get him to do so said a lot about the type of person she was to him. She touched parts of his emotions and soul that nobody else even knew existed.

"Mhm..." She nodded. She pulled her tail back and it waved in a slow motion behind her. "I wanna play." She suddenly said.

"Play what?"

"Cops and Robbers."

Sesshomaru let a small laugh slip, entertained by her childish behavior. The Sake was taking its effects on her and she let it. He knew she could stay sober if she wanted by dissolving the alcohol in her blood stream and could even control her level of intoxication. He didn't know how many shots she had when she first arrived, but she had taken three in his presense and that was enough.

"While my brother and his girlfriend are here?"

Ryoko gave a soft frown. "Who cares?" She glanced around the room. "Where's that imp of yours?"

"I sent Jaken to run some errands for me. He'll be gone for a while."

"Hm. So, what do you say?" She challenged him, starting to grip his neck.

Sesshomaru quickly grabbed both her wrists and pinned them to her sides. "I'll be the cop." A small smile tugged at his lips and Ryoko's just the same.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

**"Good Night"**

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There were a few knocks on Kagome's room door and she gave permission for the guest to enter.

"Ready to go, Kagome?" Sango asked. She was dressed in a light purple sundress with thin straps and white flip-flops and her white shoulder bag was crossed over her chest. Her dark brown hair was tied loosely at the end by a short purple ribbon.

Kagome was wearing a short yellow summer dress with a thin sky blue over jacket. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail and a simple diamond necklace sat on her chest. "Yep." She strapped on her white goddess sandals and pulled her shoulder bag over her head. "Let's go."

The two girls walked off of their school campus and into the mildly busy streets of the city. Sango invited Kagome to come have dinner with some friends so she could get out and meet more people. This was a ritual done every year since Sango attended the University. All of her friends would gather for dinner the night before the start of their classes and again after each of their exams. Sango was excited to introduce Kagome to all of her friends.

"So, where are we going?" Kagome took in her surroundings and memorized landmarks so she would know where she was and remember how to get home.

"Only the best restaurant in the city! The Akabeko. It's owned by a woman named Tae. She's really sweet. This also serves as one of the more popular hang out spots."

"Neat. Who all will be there for dinner?"

"Hm, well, I know Misao will be there, Sanosuke and his girlfriend Megumi. Ryoko might show up so Sesshomaru and his best friend Aoshi will too. I'm not sure about Inuyasha just yet. Never know what mood he might in."

"Inuyasha?" Kagome echoed.

"Sesshomaru's hanyou half brother."

"Is he always in a bad mood?"

"Not really. You should just always be cautious about dealing with him. He can be a hot head."

Kagome looked to the sky. "Hot head, huh? Sounds like a pretty interesting guy."

"Ya know, I think you two would be great friends, actually." Sango schemed.

"Me? Friends with a hot-headed guy who I should always be cautious around?" Kagome stopped at a crosswalk behind some people and waited for the light signal to turn to a green figure walking from a red figure standing by. "Just because I said he was interesting doesn't mean I was actually interested in becoming friends with him." She half joked.

"You need a little danger in your life." Sango laughed, causing Kagome to roll her eyes but still crack a smile.

The people they were waiting behind started walking quickly across the street and the girls followed in behind them.

"No, thanks. I could do without."

"He can be a real sweetheart, though. He's very helpful."

"Sango, are you really trying to set me up with this guy?"

Sango put her hands up in defense. "Haha, no way. Look, we're here, come on!" She drug Kagome into the restaurant.

"Sango, how are you this evening?" Tae greeted with a southern drawl as soon as the girls walked inside.

"Hello, Ms. Tae. I'm well. This is my best friend Kagome. She's new to the island."

"Hello, Kagome. Nice to meet."

"You as well." They bowed to one another.

"Your friends are upstairs waiting on you. They haven't ordered yet but Tsubame will be up shortly to see what all you'd like." Tae bowed again and went to help some of her customers.

Kagome followed Sango upstairs and it seemed as if the whole second floor was reserved just for the friends' ritual dinner. It was a nice size space and beautiful art hung on the walls. There were tall windows facing the front side of the restaurant and square tables sat right by all three of them. The lights in the ceiling shone bright and the whole atmosphere made Kagome feel very welcome.

"This place looks amazing." Kagome smiled.

"Sango, Kagome! You made it!" Misao stood to greet the both of them.

Sango and Kagome walked over to the group of people. "Hey, everyone." Sango smiled. "This is my best friend Kagome. Kagome this is Megumi, Kaoru, Kenshin, Ayeka and Tenchi. Of course you know Sano already." Sango introduced Kagome and gestured around the pushed together tables at everyone else.

Kagome noticed another long row of combined tables behind them and figured a lot more people would be coming. She greeted everyone and she and Sango sat across from Tenchi and Ayeka at the right end of the table, closest to the stairs.

"So, Miss Kagome, Sango has told us a lot about you, that she has. How are you liking Feudal Island so far?" Kenshin asked, sitting on the same side of the table as Tenchi.

"Please, no need for formalities." She said nicely, feeling he was being way too respectful towards her. They were peers after all. "But, it's so different with all the species walking around." Kagome responded, looking into his violet eyes. She thought that his red hair complimented his looks a great deal. He was very handsome and the cross-shaped scars on his left cheek added mystery to his gentle personality.

The girl beside him was just as gorgeous with raven hair similar to Kagome's that was pulled into a high ponytail and decorated with a large indigo ribbon. She had big blue eyes and an innocent smile just like Misao's. "Trust me, you'll get used to it in almost no time."

"I'm sure I will. It's nothing I'm that worried about, though." She shrugged.

"What are your special abilities, if you don't mind me asking." Megumi wondered, further on down the table on the same side as Kagome.

"Oh, I'm a priestess. I come from long line of priests."

"That's nice." Megumi smiled.

"What about you?"

"I'm actually an aspiring doctor. I take a few meditation and science classes and this year I'm taking spiritual classes for the heck of it." She brought a glass of water up to her red painted lips and took a sip at the end of her sentence.

"Neat. What do the rest of you guys do?" Kagome was curious.

"Well, category wise, Sango, Sano, Ayeka and myself excel in strength. Kaoru, Kenshin and Tenchi excel in swordsmanship. And Tenchi also falls in the spiritual bank, such as yourself." Misao explained.

Kagome nodded in awe. She couldn't remember the last time she was surrounded by such a diverse group of people. She would have a grand time really getting to know them during her time here. "That's pretty interesting."

"Will you be participating in the Tamashi No Gemu?" Ayeka asked in an elegant voice.

"The Soul Games? I'm not sure if I'm even qualified to." Kagome twisted her lips.

"But, you're a priestess. Isn't that why you've come?" Kaoru questioned.

"Well, yeah. My grandpa kept going on about me becoming sole proprietor of the Shikon Jewel and honestly I wasn't sure if I should even participate. Even if I didn't compete I figured I could still progress by developing my powers. I have been thinking about it and it means a lot to my grandpa and ancestors."

"I think you would be a great candidate for competition. If you'd like, I could take you to visit Lady Kaede to see if you qualify." Ayeka suggested. "Do you have any classes tomorrow?"

Kagome thought for a second. "I have Computer Science from 10a-11:50a."

"My first class is also during those times. I'll give you my number before I go and you should call me so we can meet up afterwards."

"Sure thing. Thanks for the offer."

"Hello, everyone." A young girl greeted with three men coming up the stairs behind her. She had short brown hair and was dressed in the same orange and brown kimono Tae had on. Kagome figured she was Tsubame but had no idea who the people were behind her.

"Hey, Tsubame. Fellas." Sanosuke nodded towards his friends.

"Who are they?" Kagome whispered to Sango.

"Okay, the tall one with dark hair and icy eyes is Aoshi. The tall one with the long silver hair is Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's older brother, and the last one with black hair and dark blue eyes is..."

"Excuse me, Miss. I don't believe I've seen you around before. Your beauty is impeccable. Would you do me the honor of bearing my children?" The man Sango last described was by Kagome's side gripping her hands in a matter of seconds.

"What?!" Kagome yelled, causing all eyes to turn in her direction.

Sango, facing Miroku's back, smacked the left side of his head a red hand print behind. "This lecher's name is Miroku." She popped a vein.

"Well, Miroku, no, I will _not _bear your children. I just met you. What kind of girl do you think I am?" Kagome spat, snatching her hands back.

"You're right. My apologies." Miroku gave a nervous smile and sat at the end of the table beside Sango, who gave him a furious look.

Sanosuke and Megumi relocated to the second row of tables where the Seniors would sit. Kenshin moved as well and Aoshi and Sesshomaru greeted Kagome and welcomed her to the island. Before sitting, Aoshi pulled Misao into a hug which she obviously enjoyed.

"Hey, Sesshomaru, will Inuyasha be coming?" Sango made sure to ask.

"He said he'll be stopping by soon."

Sango nodded. Just then, Ryoko appeared, standing behind Ayeka and Tenchi. "Hey, Ayeka, you're at the wrong table, aren't you?" She questioned.

Ayeka flinched. "I wish to be by Tenchi."

"Us seniors agreed to sit at one table this time around. Let's go, spoiled princess." Ryoko pulled a reluctant Ayeka from her seat with a smile and sat her down at the next table over and she herself sat between her and Sesshomaru.

Kagome really enjoyed herself during dinner and took her time getting to know her new friends more. She couldn't wait to tell her mother all about it. It was getting late in the evening and everyone had pretty much finished their meals and were just talking among each other.

"Alright, you guys, a toast!" Ryoko's voice over powered everyones chatter. She stood in her seat so she could be seen and see everyone else. They all poured sake in their shot glasses and passed the bottle around to make sure everybody had their fill. "I'm not good with speeches and all that sh-" She was interrupted by a soft nudge on her leg from Sesshomaru.

As a result of being trapped in a cave for 700 years as punishment for destroying some of the galaxy, Ryoko was kept from society and therefore lacked knowledge of what was socially acceptable when in public. Sesshomaru was surprised by her story and now knew that even though she was a natural hot-headed, free-spirited rebel, she could still work on her manners. He was more than willing to help and had been very patient with her.

"Tsubame is present." He answered her silent question.

Ryoko looked around and saw the small girl collecting plates from the Junior table. "Stuff." She corrected herself. "I just wanted to say good luck during the new quarter and best of luck training for the winter games. Here's to a new school year!"

The group cheered and partook in their drinks.

"Miss Kaoru, it's getting pretty late, that it is. Would you like for me to walk you back to your dorm now?" Kenshin slid close to her in his chair from the Senior table.

Kaoru nodded. "Sure. Let me pay for my meal and I'll be ready."

"Himura, you can ride with us. Aoshi's going to drive me back." Misao stood and stretched. The four of them bid farewell to their friends and said hello to someone on their way out.

"Yo," Inuyasha greeted who was left of the group.

"Oh, Inuyasha," Ryoko sang, flying over to him. "You just missed the group toast. You know what that means."

Inuyasha looked down at the shot glass that was placed in his hands. He sighed and quickly gulped the sake down. "Ugh." He shivered, his ears flattening against his head like last time.

"Where have you been?" Miroku asked him.

"Kikyo wanted to have dinner with me tonight." He mumbled.

"Inuyasha!" Sango tried to end their conversation, hearing him mention his girlfriend.

"Hey, Sango." He rounded the table and sat beside Tenchi, right across from her. He was in a rather relieved mood if you asked her.

Sango gave Kagome's arm a small tug as she laughed at something Sanosuke had said. He and Megumi made their way back to the previous table as space became available, as did Ayeka, who sat on the other side of Tenchi. "Inuyasha, this is my best friend Kagome Higurashi. She'll be attending the University with us."

"Hey, Kagome. Nice to meet you."

"Boy, I knew your brother was a looker but to have the two of you at one school must get a little crazy with all the women, eh?" This comment earned an amused look from Sesshomaru who was still sitting at the Senior table, waiting for Ryoko to rejoin him. Sango and Inuyasha flinched as Kagome went on. "You're gorgeous and those ears are to die for."

"Uh," Sango covered her best friend's mouth. "She must have had just a little too much to drink. I wasn't expecting that."

Inuyasha blushed and scratched the back of his head, smiling shyly. "Don't, uh, don't worry about it." Ryoko laughed from behind him. "Of course with Ryoko here I'm almost not surprised."

"Seems like Kagome is the honest drunk type." Ryoko commented.

"Get this, Inuyasha, she's also Ryoko's new roommate." Sango informed him.

"Wonder how the hell that happened. Would it have anything to do with the destruction of the science lab last semester why you would still be in a dorm room instead of upgrading to a suite?"

"Bringing that up again, huh? Why couldn't you wait until your brother wasn't around?" Ryoko narrowed her eyes at him as she stood behind his chair.

"Bed..." Kagome sighed. "I need a bed." She wrapped her arms around Sango's neck, giggling softly.

"She wants to leave already? Aw man, my night isn't over yet." Ryoko pouted, feeling like she had a responsibility to watch after Kagome since she was her new roommate.

"Well, I wasn't going to stick around long. I was just stopping by. I could walk her to her room." Inuyasha offered with a shrug.

"I was about to head out too." Sango said, leaving money on the table for both her and Kagome's meals.

Miroku placed money on the table as well. "I'll accompany you."

...

Kagome wrapped her arms around Inuyasha's neck as he carried her piggyback style back to her dorm, falling a few paces behind Miroku and sango.

Inuyasha crossed the street with the other pedestrians and chuckled as Kagome started humming to herself. "You must have had more than _just _a little too much to drink." He said low enough for her to hear.

"The night is still so young!" She suddenly shouted, throwing her hands into the air for a brief moment then back around his neck. "Let's go bowling or to a bar for some Karaoke!"

Inuyasha looked down at the watch on his left wrist. "It's actually going on midnight. The night isn't as young as you think."

"Oh man, that's not good."

"Why not?"

"I have school in the morning." She pouted.

"No, that's not good at all. You're gonna have one hell of a hangover."

A smacking sound rang through the air and Inuyasha and Kagome stared ahead as Miroku smiled and rubbed his stinging face.

"What a pervert." Inuyasha shook his head.

"You smell pretty nice." Kagome shifted which made Inuyasha lock his arms tighter around her legs.

"Thanks. You smell pretty nice too." He returned her compliment with a soft smile and a light blush. He imprinted the scent of Cherry Blossom lotion into his mind and from that day on he would associate her with it, also finding her natural body odor underneath. She smelled heavenly.

"Oh, Inuyasha." She blushed herself, burying her face into his hair with a smile. "You're so sweet. Sango was right."

"Huh? Right about what?" He questioned, making a right turn. They were only one block away from the school's dorms.

"She said one should always be cautious around you because you can be a hot head. Then she said you could be a sweetheart and that you were very helpful. I don't know about the hot head part yet, but so far, you've proved her right."

"She is one hundred percent correct. But I'm a nice guy most of the time." He said in a contrasting tone, feeling he wasn't as hot-headed as people made him out to be. "Hm?"

"I've been waiting to do this since I laid eyes on you." Kagome muttered as she lightly scratched behind Inuyasha's ears while simultaneously pinching at them softly.

A noise emitted from his throat and he tried to suppress it as much as he could. A darker blush spread across his face as he enjoyed the feeling but Kagome had no idea what she was doing to him and he couldn't let her know. Considering he was in a relationship, to let her continue would be inappropriate.

"Uh, K-Kagome..." He forced out.

Kagome stopped scratching and threw her arm back around his shoulder, halfway closing her eyes. "Sorry. That was rude. It probably made you uncomfortable...for all know you probably have a girlfriend." She sighed, resting her head at the base of his neck. "Ah!" She screamed after a few seconds of silence.

"What?" Inuyasha checked their surroundings, not sensing any danger. Sango and Miroku turned around on alert.

"A bug!" She let go of Inuyasha's neck and fell backwards onto the ground, trying to swat the bug away while he still had her legs in his arms.

"Kagome!" They all screamed. Inuyasha looked down at her and was thankful for her dress being long enough to fold down in the middle, but he still blushed at the thought of what he would have been faced with.

Upon entering Kagome's dorm, Inuyasha held her to his front with an arm under her knees and the other behind her back. Sango fished Kagome's door key from her shoulder bag and let Inuyasha inside. He set Kagome's bag on the desk near the head of her bed and peeled the coves back, lying the sleeping girl on her cool sheets. He then unstrapped her sandals and sat them on top of the trunk at the foot of her bed and lastly covered her up and tucked her in. He gave her one last once over and joined Sango and Miroku in the hallway and they headed out of the building.

"I'll bring her some breakfast in the morning. I hope she doesn't feel sick." He said, thoughtfully.

"Ryoko will be coming back tonight to keep an eye on her. Thanks, Inuyasha. You've been a big help." Sango said as they crossed the courtyard to get to her own dorm.

"No problem. See you guys around." Inuyasha parted ways with them and Miroku did the same after making sure Sango was safe in her building.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

**"Bad Morning With A Side of Surprise"**

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Kagome stirred from her sleep and turned over in her bed. She could see a soft light behind her eyelids which meant her room curtains were pulled open. A soft groan mixed with a sigh escaped her lips and she put a hand to her forehead.

"Headache?" A voice across the room asked her.

"The worst." Kagome responded, eyes still shut with a frown on her face.

"You must be pretty hungover then. You did drink quite a bit." Ryoko said.

"What time is it?"

"8:45."

"I slept 15 minutes through my alarm? That's strange. I'd usually wake up when I hear it, no matter how tired I am."

"You would have if it was turned on. I figured you'd be feeling pretty bad this morning so I turned it off and was going to wake you at 9 so you'd still have time to get ready for class."

"I really appreciate it, but now I won't have time to grab any breakfast."

"Look."

Kagome cracked her eyes open a little and looked at Ryoko who was sitting cross-legged on her bed in yet another long dress and reading a book then to her own nightstand. There was a small bottle of orange juice, plastic eating utensils and a black lunchbox tied up with a red ribbon. On top of lunchbox was a small packet of 2 pills and a note tucked under one part of the bow-tied ribbon.

"Huh? What's this?" Kagome sat up and looked down at her clothes as her blanket fell to her waist. She had no recollection as to how she got home but she must have been pretty tired to skip putting on her pajamas.

She gave her eyes a few rubs and they fully adjusted to the morning light. Swinging her feet over the bed, she slid the note from under the ribbon and read it.

_The pills are for your headache I'm more than sure you'll wake up with. It's not much but I made you breakfast. You should put something on our stomach as soon as you get up so you won't feel sick. See you around._

_-Inuyasha_

"Inuyasha?" Kagome looked at the items once more as she tried to remember what Inuyasha had looked like. An image of him scratching the back of his head as he smiled and blushed flashed through her mind. _Oh, I remember. Sesshomaru's hanyou half-brother._ "When did he drop this off?"

Ryoko turned a page in her book. "About twenty minutes ago, actually. He seemed a little worried about ya."

Kagome untied the red ribbon and set the pills asid. The lunchbox held steamed rice, _yakizakana_ (grilled fish), natto, three cuts of _tamagoyki_ (rolled omelet) and a medium-sized container of miso soup. "Wow, it looks pretty good." _Not much, huh? This is a full course meal! I'm not complaining, though. _She blinked a few times and looked to Ryoko who was paying no attention. "I'm sorry. I wouldn't feel right eating in front of you but I won't have time to go to the cafe."

Ryoko waved it off. "Kagome, stop being so modest. I don't eat anyway. Fun facts about me: I don't need to eat or breathe to survive. If I do eat, it's only for social reasons. I don't even have any taste buds." She informed.

"Really?" Kagome went wide-eyed. "But the things you consume still affect you?"

Ryoko shook her head. "Nope. Only alcohol and I can even control those effects of how much."

"That's really interesting, Ryoko."

"Mhm, now hurry and eat so you can get ready for you class." Ryoko urged.

Kagome put her food in the microwave her mother purchased and pulled out some jean capris and a nice thin green and white blended shirt with ruffles going down the middle. he would wear a spaghetti strap tank top underneath so her bra wouldn't be exposed. She went to her closet and fished some tan platform sandals from one of her shoe boxes to complete her look.

Her clock read 9am on the dot and she made note as she took the medicine Inuyasha provided her and removed her food from the microwave. Not exactly taking her time, Kagome rushed through breakfast, enjoying the savoring hint of spice of Inuyasha's cooking. Besides her own and Mrs. Higurashi's cooking, his had been some of the best she's ever had. This all worked well in her favor because once she was done she had twenty minutes to shower and get dressed so she would make it to class early.

She was able to shower quickly in the half empty girls bathroom and get back to her room once she was dressed and gather a few notebooks in case she had to take any notes on the first day. She didn't want to buy any textbooks yet just in case she didn't need them.

As quickly as her Computer Science class had started, it was over. The professor seemed a bit lazy about his teaching but he still gave an in depth description of his class and what he would be teaching. He passed out the class syllabi and dismissed everyone an hour early.

Kagome packed her notebook, folder and syllabus into her pastel green tote bag, which was a parting gift from her family and pulled out her cell phone as she stepped into the hallway. Just in case Ayeka's class was still in, she texted her.

_I'll be out in 15. Meet me in the courtyard in the West wing of the school._

"Courtyard in the west wing." Kagome read Ayeka's reply. "I remember where that is." She smiled to herself, happy that Sango and Misao had taken their time to help her and show her around since she moved there.

It took no time for Kagome to reach her destination. The weather was fairly nice out and she found a bench to rest on. She looked into her bag and pulled out Sota's comic, never have finished it on the plane. "Might as well." She shrugged, turning to the pages her bookmark rested in between.

"I never really struck you for the comic book type." A friendly voice pulled Kagome's eyes from the book to a pair of smiling blue eyes. "Oh, I'm not, usually. Just thought I'd read something to pass the time. A parting gift from my kid brother back at home." She explained to Kaoru, closing the book. "Good morning." She smiled.

Kaoru smiled back. "Good morning. You done with you first class already?"

Kagome nodded. "Yeah. Not much happened. I'm just waiting for Ayeka to meet me here now." She checked her watch. She had already been waiting for ten minutes.

"Oh, yeah. She's taking you to visit Lady Kaede." Kaoru remembered, looking to her right. "Well, here she comes now."

Kagome put the comic book away and stood as Ayeka quickly approached. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Kagome, Kaoru." She panted lightly. Kaoru returned her greeting. "I'm sorry. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long." She apologized.

Kagome shook her head. "Not at all. You're right on time."

"Okay. You're coming, Kaoru?"

"Yeah, why not? My next class isn't until two with Lady Kaede."

The three girls started walking with Kagome in between Ayeka and Kaoru.

Kagome impulsively took out her schedule to check and see what her next class would be, yet again. "I have Archery from 2-4:30...with Lady Kaede. How could I not have remembered that?" She asked herself.

"Awesome!" Kaoru exclaimed. "You'll be sticking with me, then. Lady Kaede is great." She assured Kagome.

They weren't walking for long until they were walking along the University's large running track, stepping between hurdles.

"So, something I've been thinking about," Kagome started. "If this school is mainly for demons and humans with special abilities, why have regular classes and sports like an ordinary university?" She looked to her left at a group of people playing a game of volleyball in front of a side of the west building of the school.

"It's simple, really. There are still majors available such as Math and English for people who wish to lead normal lives. They most likely come here to just get stronger and develop their powers for personal reasons, such as yourself." Ayeka explained. "When you graduate, you will get two certificates. One to show the people off the island that represents a regular degree and one representing your ability major."

"Since you're a Spirit Major, Kagome, that is the equivalent of a Bachelors degree in the real world. So, you'll get those two accordingly. A bachelor's in Spirituality and in the real world it would be for Psychology." Kaoru added to help Kagome understand better if she was confused at all.

"The administrators must go through a lot to keep this 'boarding school' cover-up." Kagome used air quotes. "But still, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed."

The girls reached a traditional Japanese medium-sized building on the far end of the track and stepped on the porch. Ayeka led the way to where she knew Kaede would be. They entered the building and walked the short hallway that led to the back and back outside in a closed space.

Kagome looked out in the space to some target circles lined up on a wall beside one another. Just looking at them made her feel like she belonged in the school, like she was meant to be something other than a regular person in the world.

"Would ye like to try?"

Kagome was bought out of her trance by a fragile elderly voice. short woman with long greying hair and an eye patch over her right eye approached her, Ayeka and Kaoru. She wore a white kimono and red hakamas with white socks- the common outfit for a miko.

"Um, no thanks. I'll wait until class starts at two." Kagome declined. "My name is Kagome Higurashi. Pleased to meet you." She bowed to show her respect.

"I am Priestess Kaede. Good morning Princess Ayeka, Lady Kaoru." Kaede bowed to them. "How may I assist ye this morning?"

"Well, Lady Kaede, Kagome wanted to know if she would be qualified to compete in the Tamashi No Gemu for the summer exams."

Kaede looked Kagome over, studying her. "I see." She closed her eye for all of a few seconds and then looked back to Kagome. "Do you sense and indescribable power in the atmosphere?"

"Um..." Kagome paused and looked to the wooden floor boards for a minute. "Yes, I do. I felt that ever since I arrived here. I thought it was normal. Isn't it the Shikon Jewel? Can't everyone else feel it too?" She was confused.

"What? You can sense the Shikon Jewel?" Kaoru was shocked.

"Amazing." Ayeka said under her breath.

"Everyone is not able to sense the jewel, child. But since ye can, that tells me that ye are actually overqualified to participate in the Soul Games."

"Overqualified?" Kagome's heart started to race. Since she was taking the first step in seeing if she was qualified to compete, hearing she was overqualified scared her just a little. She was starting to look forward to seeing what competing would be like. The thought of having to tell her family she wouldn't be able to hurt her. It would hurt her grandpa.

"Yes, but that does not mean ye can not participate. Ye are actually a great candidate for the games. I sensed from your spirit that ye come from a long line of priests and ye have a remarkable power that has not yet been released. Only ye and Kikyo are the only ones who have the power to sense the jewel."

"Who's Kikyo?"

"She is my young sister who is also a student of mine. She too is a powerful priestess with a gift from our priest ancestors. Come to think of it, ye two actually favor a bit." Kaede paused to collect her thoughts. "Well, I suppose I shall see ye in class."

"Wait," Kaoru blurted out. "So, that was her test to see if she was qualified? No spirit questions or anything?"

Kaede shook her head. "No need for any. I know all I need to by knowing she can sense the Sacred Jewel. This is a good thing."

"Wow, that's incredible."

"Oh, I can't believe I almost forgot. Follow me, please."

Kagome, Ayeka and Kaoru obeyed and followed Kaede into a room with many bows, arrows, sitting mats, white kimonos and dark blue, tan and red hakamas. Kaede use a stool to reach on a high shelf to pull down a white kimono with red stitching just like her own and some red hakamas.

"This is our uniform for my class. Ye will have me all year for archery. If ye happen to have meditation this year as well, uniform is not required but I urge ye to dress comfortably. Since ye are qualified for Tamashi No Gemu, ye will train with me every Friday at undisclosed times and locations. I send out emails every Thursday morning with all of the information ye will need so make sure ye check frequently. I do not use text books and I don't require ye to take notes. All tests are performance wise to test your ability of what ye have learned. Understand?"

Kagome nodded. It was a lot for her to take in, but she absorbed it all. "Yes, I understand. Thank you, Lady Kaede." She and her friends joined in a bow with Kaede.

"I look forward to having ye as a student, Kagome."

Kagome had a quick brunch with Ayeka and Kaoru and Ayeka left the two to get to her next class. Kaoru left Kagome soon after and made plans to meet back up with Kagome so they could walk to class together.

Enjoying a sandwich in her room, Kagome was texting Sango, telling her a little of the conversation she had with Kaede. Sango was just as surprised as Kagome had been earlier. The next person on her list to talk to had been her mother. They only got to speak for a brief moment before Mrs. Higurashi had to finish running a few errands before Sota returned home from school. She promised to call Kagome back once the family had finished dinner later that night.

Kagome was done with her sandwich and the movie she chose to watch on Netflix an hour before her Archery class started. She had to meet Kaoru in the same courtyard she met Ayeka in that morning. She closed her laptop and set it side, reaching for her tote bag. She pulled her Computer Science folder and notebook out and replaced them with the miko uniform Kaede provided her with. Then, her eyes fell upon the lunchbox on her nightstand.

"I'll go wash this out and return it to Inuyasha. He probably wants it back." She thought aloud. "Kaoru might know where he is."

Kagome grabbed the lunchbox, her bag and ran down the hall to the girl's bathroom to wash the container then headed out of the building to meet Kaoru. Kaoru hadn't seen Inuyasha that day yet and Kagome shrugged. She could always ask Ryoko where he was.

...

"Momiji, Botan. Excellent posture." Kaede complimented two of her sophomore students. She started her class with a brief lecture of what she felt was important, did a quick demonstration of how to hold a bow and arrow, how not to hold them and how to shoot for newcomers and those who were rusty.

"Nice, strong posture, Kaoru." Kaede stopped behind her and watched her shoot. The arrow hit a yellow ring, one color close to the red circle in the middle.

"Man, I almost had it that time." Kaoru was a little disappointed.

"Practice slow deep breaths more and ye will have it in no time." Kaede encouraged her.

"Yeah, you still did a good job, Kaoru."

Kaoru smiled at Kaede and Kagome. "Thank you. I'll hit the target before class is over. I know I will."

"Well, Kagome?" Kaede asked as Kaoru kept practicing. "Ye haven't done anything yet. I'm curious as to why."

Kagome looked out at her assigned target. "I guess I'm just nervous. I've never done this before."

"Ye cannot tap into your true powers unless ye try. Go ahead. No need to be nervous." Kaede smiled and tried to make Kagome comfortable.

Kagome nodded and took a deep breath, grabbing the bow that was sitting on the wall behind her. She adjusted the strap and container of arrows on her shoulder and grabbed an arrow, slowly drawing it on her bow and pausing. She steadied her left arm as it was extended, her hand gripping the bow tightly.

"Nice posture. Great start. Take your time. No need to rush. Take deep breaths." Kaede coached.

Kaoru stopped practicing to watch Kagome. Kagome took in Kaede's words and focused on her target. _Deep breaths, Kagome. _She told herself. When she felt she was ready, she was about to release her arrow, but someone releasing theirs to the right of her broke her concentration.

The arrow hit right in the middle of their red circle and that amazed Kagome. She looked to the person who had just shown up seconds before and it was like she was looking in a mirror. She was caught in awe and felt the need to compliment the pale girl wearing the same uniform as her. This meant they were in the same rank as far as skill. Red hakamas represented the best archers in the class while dark blue was intermediate and tan meant beginner. Kagome had never held a bow and arrow in her life but Kaede trusted her powerful spirit enough to put her in red hakamas.

"Hey, that was really good." Kagome relaxed her arms to say. She hadn't mind that her concentration had been broken.

The pale girl smirked and rested her own arms and turned to look at Kagome, her long low ponytail flowing with her motions. "Well?" She nodded her head towards Kagome's target.

"Oh, right." Kagome pulled her arrow back into her bow again and took three deep breaths. "Here goes nothing." She whispered to herself right before she let go of her arrow. As the arrow travelled towards her target, it was suddenly engulfed in a light purple light which shocked everyone and caused them to stop practicing. Unfortunately, when the arrow hit, it did so right on top of the red circle into the yellow space above it.

"What was that?" Kagome still stood in the stance she was in when she released her arrow, unable to move, surprised at what she just witnessed.

"Your miko powers are starting to awaken. Archery is your form of defense and offense, therefore ye are more powerful in your form of art. Ye may be more powerful than I thought." Kaede was amazed.

Kagome was at a loss of words and heard a barely audible snort come from the pale girl beside her. She looked and the girl was already walking away towards the changing rooms. "Who was she?"

"My sister, Kikyo." Kaede said, looking in the direction Kikyo walked in. "Alright everyone, ye all have done well today. I will see ye on Wednesday. You're dismissed."

Kaoru and Kagome stepped off of the porch of the mini dojo and headed towards the central building of the University to get to the library.

"You're just full of mystery, aren't you?" Kaoru teased.

"I guess I am." Kagome raised her brows with a smile and gave a loud sigh. "This is so weird. I feel like a brand new person or something."

"Well, I suppose finding out how powerful you are and actually witnessing some of it for the first time would make you feel that way. But, just like you'll get used to this melting pot called Feudal Island, you'll get used to this new you. Lady Kaede knows a lot about that stuff, though so she's the perfect person to talk to."

Kagome looked down at her feet as she walked alongside Kaoru on the sidewalk then over to her. "You're right. No worries."

"Hey, there goes Inuyasha." Kaoru pointed out a little ways in front of them. Kagome looked ahead and smiled, reaching into her bag for his lunchbox.

Inuyasha's ears twitched as he smelled the familiar scent of Cherry Blossom and remembered the sweet awkward memory that came along with it and its owner. He recognized it to be Kagome's. When he carried her home last night the scent of her lotion was strong on his clothes and in his hair, especially on his shirt. Humans wouldn't have noticed so easily, but since he was mixed with a dog demon, it was too obvious to him.

He turned around to Kaoru pointing him out to Kagome and she smiled at him, reaching into her bag.

"Hey, Inuyasha!" Kagome called. Before she could get any closer to him, Kikyo came out of nowhere, pulling on his arm and into a surprising kiss. Kagome stopped in her tracks, her smile quickly fading.

Kikyo glanced back at Kagome and smiled then put Inuyasha's arm around her shoulder and led him away. Inuyasha looked back at Kagome with eyes that said 'I'm sorry'. He mouthed the word _later _and looked ahead to see where he was going.

Kaoru shared a look wit Kagome and shrugged. "No better way than to show you date one of the most popular guys around, huh?" She said in a disgusted voice.

"I'll say. I had no idea they were dating. I just wanted to return this to him." She looked at the lunchbox. "Guess I'll try another time." She shrugged, putting it back in her bag and changing the subject.


End file.
